A Max Air aircraft carrying 119 passengers and six crew members experienced a serious issue when its rear gear tyres burst. The first set of tyres burst during takeoff, and while attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, leaving the aircraft disabled.
This information was shared in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Bimbo Oladeji, at 11:22 pm on Sunday. Despite the tyre bursts, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The statement read: “This evening, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja. During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst. While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr., will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation.”
In a related event in 2023, a report by the NSIB accused the airline of overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) following a serious incident on May 7, 2023, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The report indicated that the airline claimed ignorance of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s directive regarding CVR information overwriting.
Previously, an aircraft belonging to the same airline departed from Abuja to Yola as NGL1648. After being on the ground in Yola for about 30 minutes, it was turned around for a flight back to Abuja. Due to high ground temperatures, the landing gear was left extended for three minutes post-takeoff to allow for cooling. At 2:08 p.m., Nigerian Air Force personnel reported to Yola Control Tower that an object resembling a tyre had fallen from the departing NGL1649.
